The atmosphere around Reed began to change at that moment.
What was happening?
What was about to occur?
At a certain point when only half of Carpeios' original body remained, trembling in confusion.
"...!"
The bizarre pupils of the Great Demon widened greatly. The Chaos Demon had transformed into a form completely unexpected.
The jet-black hair, once so dark it seemed like a sin, had turned to shining silver.
The color of the eyes, once resembling a sticky, blood-filled ocean, was now like a bright, sunlit paradise.
It had been purified.
The great power of evil, revered by demons, temporarily lost its rank.
Finally, the essence of the soul began to show.
The being before him was human.
A human Carpeios was very familiar with.
"Do you remember?"
Perhaps unsure whether the memory would be recognized, Reed showed proof of his true identity.
A white sword, remarkable for its blue square gem on the hilt, was summoned and casually plunged into the sand.
"You, you are...?"
"You recognize this form."
"Yes, but why... how could this happen... that insect-like human... this is absurd..."
The being before him was clearly the Chaos Demon. Carpeios' instincts to submit to him confirmed this unmistakably.
If so, then the opponent must naturally be the purest form of evil, [N O V E L I G H T] right?
The most refined and impurity-free evil, forged in the cauldron of countless demons and devils.
A being that even the Demon King would bow to, of that Carpeios had no doubt.
However...
However, the being he had believed and served for so long was merely a human!
The great will of the Chaos Demon resided in a human body!
And it was in that silver livestock, the one Reed had treated as a toy!
"How, how could this be?"
The shock-stricken Carpeios was interrupted by a low, mellow voice in his ears.
"By the way, this is the fifteenth time, isn't it?"
"What...?"
"Me killing you."
"...!"
Reed coldly passed his sentence.
"Since the Shrine has been completed, you are of no more use."
"Don’t be ridiculous!"
Having consumed magic energy to restore his body, Carpeios rose.
He tried to defy the ingrained instinct of submission in his soul and stood against the Chaos Demon.
The Great Demon’s body tensed, blood vessels pulsing, and the whites of his eyes turned red, his voice beginning to split.
"You...!"
"..."
<You are not the Chaos Demon!>
"Is that so?"
A fierce wind blew through Sanarak. The clash between the two beings created a destructive current, violently shaking the air.
The battle, intense yet one-sided, did not last long before it came to an end.
The tattered black paper doll was unrecognizable. However, Reed managed to find the head and reached out.
<Cough!>
A hook-like hand burrowed into the head of the great demon.
With ruthless strength, Reed seized the demon’s hair and forcibly lifted the broken body, now as ragged as a rag.
A harsh, dry sound echoed, not of a living being’s flesh but of something inorganic turning to powder.
The remains of Carpeios, master of Sanarak, had turned into a handful of sand, scattering hopelessly.
He did not destroy it. That would be too kind.
Born as a lowly insect, reincarnating thousands of times, that would be the punishment.
Stepping on the fine remains of Carpeios, Reed moved forward.
In just three steps, the surrounding landscape blurred and transformed into a new location.
It was as if the space didn’t welcome him, but rather he had arrived at this new place.
The place where the great Chaos Demon was welcomed was a pyramid-shaped tower, the Shrine of Chaos.
He entered the tomb without any restraints.
His leisurely walk, as if taking a stroll, led him down into the complex maze, deep into its heart.
The altar of chaos looked slightly different from before.
Then, the circular stairs had clearly spiraled downwards, forming concentric circles, with a shallow black well filling the bottom.
But now, the well had risen to its brim, and the interior was no longer visible.
The water, now more like a reservoir, slowly spun counterclockwise.
The surface of the water seemed to indicate the size of the gate to some dungeon connected to this space.
After confirming the sufficiently open entrance, Reed raised his hand and placed it on the surface.
His appearance once again turned black and red.
Bang!
When the evil power was used, the still water surged. The energy burst outward like a water vein breaking.
Reed’s body was swept away by the powerful flow, engulfed by the water.
But he paid it no mind, calmly waiting for something in the depths.
Soon, a mighty presence spoke to him.
<Human...>
The massive Chaos Demon’s true form emerged, finally appearing within the Shrine.
The surrounding water seemed ready to crush Reed, as if it could burst him apart.
"..."
<In this timeline, you have turned from one who seals me to one who frees me.>
Although it was their first meeting in this timeline, the Chaos Demon read all the causal relationships.
The reason Reed was able to absorb the power, rank, and abilities of the Chaos Demon without losing his will was because the contract included a condition to release the Chaos Demon into the mortal realm through a dungeon burst.
A Dungeon Burst releases the dungeon’s master to the outside world, while also explosively increasing their power.
The Chaos Demon was no exception to this effect.
The being, fully in control of the space, could not contain its joy.
However.
<But this is not the mortal realm, is it?>
The voice, like the wailing of thousands of spirits, deepened. The water pressure surrounding Reed threatened to crush him.
But Reed remained unshaken.
"I will cause another Dungeon Burst."
Even underwater, his vocal cords worked without difficulty.
<So you have planned two bursts. Why?>
"To raise your rank further."
<...Rank?>
The groundbreaking declaration came in the next moment.
"Chaos Demon."
<.......>
"I will make you a god."
<...!>
Reed's plan was to use two bursts to elevate the Chaos Demon’s rank twice.
But this was not merely for the purpose of bringing about total destruction in the world.
This world was barely avoiding destruction through his return. And the reason the world was broken was one.
It was because the gods had abandoned it.
If gods existed, this world could be restored.
The world would have a future if gods were present.
As long as gods existed, the need for reincarnation would cease.
Only gods.
Only gods could fix this world.
Then.
‘It doesn't matter if that god is the Demon God.’
He had lived as a broken clock part. A hundred lives would be more than enough, wouldn't it? He had reached his limit.
He could no longer submit to the ruthless utilitarianism of a world that says that if only one person sacrifices, everyone else will be happy—that was the best choice.
Then, he had no choice but to find the next best thing, even if it was far from the ideal.
To replace the god who would never return, to establish a new god on this land.
A world ruled by the Demon God would inevitably become the Demon Realm. The expected survival rate for humanity would be under 5%.
This surviving population would be pushed into the realm of the "Sanctuary Construction" artifact. That would be humanity's last bastion.
A great deal of blood would be shed. But isn’t it a better choice than destroying the existence of the world without leaving a trace?
Thus, this plan was both the destruction and Reed’s salvation, and also the good. - Please, corrupt faster.
As Reed descended into darkness, the Chaos Demon laughed maliciously on his behalf.
<It’s a satisfying plan.>
Chapter 45: Apocalypse War
A damp, gloomy temple with water gently lapping at the floor.
A barefoot, young girl in gray and purple ceremonial robes moved gracefully, creating ripples on the surface of the water.
Before long, she stopped, tapping the tip of her jingling staff against the floor before kneeling.
Her long golden hair, tinged with mint, grew wet, but she paid it no mind.
When the girl finished her actions, the surrounding environment seemed to freeze. The space became a perfect still life, silencing sound and movement.
Then, a rhythmic sound emerged from the depths.
It was the sound of footsteps rising through the water, someone walking up the submerged stairs, slowly approaching the girl.
Soon, a tall figure emerged from the water.
A handsome man with wet black hair, he was the being that all demons admired and revered.
"I have been waiting, Chaos Demon."
His vertically slit blue eyes shone with joy.
Reed quickly evaporated the moisture from his body with magic. Then, his decadent red lips parted.
"Abixinis."
"Yes."
"What’s the situation?"
"I have prepared to spread the gospel of the Chaos Demon to the foolish humans. 66,666 demon apostles are ready, awaiting your command."
"Good."
The indifferent reply confirmed the decision.
The Demon King and the Chaos Demon—two beings formed a series of concentric ripples. The water, shallow at the floor, began to vibrate.
Abixinis couldn’t hide his joy. He could feel the changes in the surroundings clearly.
This place was transforming into a space between the mortal realm and the Demon Realm.
‘Finally, into the mortal realm...!’
Entering the human world was the goal of all demons. Even the Chaos Demon, at the peak of evil, desired this. Abixinis was no exception.
With a sharp sound, one side of the space shattered like glass. The fragments that fell were replaced by an entirely different scenery.
Finally, when all the shards fell, the space revealed was pure and sacred.
Reed had summoned and fixed the coordinates to none other than the Holy Office.
In the blink of an eye, the space between the Demon Realm and the mortal realm had fused. It was a Dungeon Burst that had occurred quietly.
"I’ll go."
Turning his back, Reed took the first step toward the human world.
Abixinis eagerly followed, his face full of excitement.
